1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic game device, and particularly, to a video game device for implementing a racing game. More particularly, it relates to improvements in a system for recording game results and displaying same on a screen. The electronic game device according to the present invention provides an arcade game device or domestic game device.
2. Description of the Related Art
With progress in computer technology, video game devices using computer graphics technology have become widely used. One example of the video game devices of this type are race game devices based on a car racing contest.
Race game devices of this type comprise a frame similar to the driving seat of a car (driver's seat) and a display device, such as a liquid-crystal projector, CRT, or the like, positioned in front of this frame. A player sits in the driver's seat, and when he or she controls a steering wheel, accelerator, brakes, and the like, in accordance with the video image displayed on the screen of the display device, car movements based on the results of these control actions are created by a microcomputer. Thereupon, a screen corresponding to these car movements is provided on the display device. tournament data storage region of the RAM. For instance, for the sake of convenience, the lowest possible score is stored as an initial value in each address of the tournament data memory, of which there are "52". The CPU updates the highest score within the unit time period in the corresponding address of the RAM, each time the game is played.
Next, the operation of this game device is described in detail. Firstly, the person managing the game device sets the operational mode of the game device to the aforementioned tournament mode. In this case, each memory address for the game results in the tournament mode is initialized and the aforementioned lowest score is set therein.
The subsequent operation of the game device is described using the flowchart in FIG. 4. when the player plays a game, the corresponding game result is calculated, and the game result, ranking, and the like, is stored in a prescribed region of a prescribed RAM (400-404). Thereupon, it is determined whether or not the device is in the tournament mode or the ranking mode (406).
Since the game device is set to the tournament mode, the game result calculating and judging means 34 illustrated in FIG. 3 determines whether or not the game result stored at step 404 is the highest score within the unit time period (408). The unit time period is specified by the aforementioned dip switch 42 to means 34. Means 34 determines the unit time period from the switch 42 and the internal clock 35 data, and stores this in storage means 36.
In the case of the highest score, the device transfers
In a driving game device of this type, data relating to the game results of some players achieving the highest scores in the driving game are recorded in a memory devices, and the recorded data is divided up, player by player, and displayed on a monitor. when the game has been finished, a player achieving a high score is able to input symbols indicating his or her identity to the driving game device. These symbols, in other words, identification symbols for specifying the game player, are called a "name", and are usually constituted by several letters of the alphabet.
Unless the data in the memory is cleared, a combination or a prescribed number of names and game result data corresponding to these names is recorded in the game device. If a player newly plays the race game, and achieves a high score, then the corresponding game result is stored in the memory in place of the data for the person having the lowest position therein. The monitor displays game scores for each name, in order starting from the person having the greatest result.
In the aforementioned race game device, the following problems arise. Firstly, since game results are merely displayed name by name, the form of this display is monotonous. Moreover, it is not easy to compile results in a cumulative fashion for the same person, for example, even if the same name is used, a game result will be stored separately if the date and time of game play is different. Furthermore, it is difficult to conduct processing whereby, for example, a certain time period is specified and the highest score in that time period is identified, or the like.
Moreover, in a conventional driving game device, the operational characteristics of the frame containing the driver's seat, in other words, the characteristics of virtual suspension, or engine characteristics, or the like, can be set according to the player's intention, but these settings have had to be made each time the player plays the game.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an electronic game having an improved form of display of game results which is not monotonous It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electronic game device having an excellent cumulating function for game results. It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an electronic game device whereby characteristics of the game device matched to each individual player do not have to be set each time the game is played.
In order to achieve the aforementioned objects, the present invention is an electronic game device comprising: clock function means for realizing a clock function; time period specifying means for specifying a time period by means of the clock function means; game result storing means for storing game results achieved in this time period; identifying means for identifying a game player; and means for displaying game results for the identified game player on a screen.
Therefore, according to this invention, since game results in a specified time period can be displayed for each game player, compilation of game results becomes easy and the display of game results does not become monotonous.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the game results storing means is a memory storing the greatest game results in the specified time period. In a further aspect of the present invention, the game results storing means is a memory storing cumulative game results in the specified time period. In yet a further aspect of the present invention, the identifying means comprises means for inputting an identification symbol selected by the game player. In yet a further aspect of the present invention, the identification symbol contains a password.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the identifying means is means for inputting data relating to the birthday of the game player as the identification symbol. A further aspect of the present invention also comprises storing means for storing the identification symbols, judging means for judging agreement with an input identification symbol, and means for (i) reading our a game result stored in said storing means, (ii) adding the game result read out from the storing means, and (iii) and storing this sum value in said storing means when this judgement step produces a positive result.
Moreover, the present invention is also an electronic game device comprising; game implementing means for implementing a game; game results storing means for storing game results for a player for each identification symbol selected by a player; calculating means for (i) reading out a game result stored in the storing means with respect to an identification symbol input by a player, (ii) adding the game result achieved in the game to the game result read our from the storing means, and (iii) newly storing this sum value in the game results storing means; and means for displaying the newly stored game result.
Consequently, since the cumulative game result for each player can be displayed on the screen, it is simple to compile game results and, moreover, game results can be displayed in such a manner that they encourage the ambition and competitiveness of the player.
The present invention is also an electronic game device comprising: clock function means for realizing a clock function and time period specifying means for specifying a time period on the basis of this clock function; wherein the calculating means newly stores game results in the specified time period.
A further aspect of the present invention is an electronic game device, wherein input of the password is carried out by means of attribute buttons relating to the game implementing means. These attribute buttons may be a plurality of view change buttons, for example.
Yet a further aspect of the present invention comprises; characteristics value storing means for storing characteristics values relating to the output device for each of the identification symbols; reading means for reading out characteristics values corresponding to an identification symbol input by a player from the characteristics value storing means; and setting means for setting the characteristics of the output device on the basis of the characteristics values thus read out.
Yet a further aspect of the present invention is a machine-readable recording medium to which program data are written for executing: time period specifying process for specifying a time period by means of clock function means; game result storing process for storing game results achieved in this time period; identifying process for identifying a game player; and process for displaying game results for the identified game player on a screen.
By recording medium, moreover, is meant something on which information (mainly digital data, programs) is recorded by some kind of physical means or other, being such as can have the requisite function performed by a processing device such as a computer or dedicated processor. In other words, this need only be something that can download programs into a computer by some means or other and cause the requisite function to be performed. Included in such media are, for example, flexible disks, hard disks, magnetic tape, photomagnetic disks, CD-ROMs, DVDS, ROM cartridges, RAM memory cartridges equipped with battery back-up, flash memory cartridges, and non-volatile RAM cartridges.
These shall extend to cases where data transfers are received from a host computer via wire or wireless communications lines (public lines, dedicated data lines, satellite circuits, etc.). The so-called Internet is also to be included in the recording media spoken of here.